Our thrift stores here are just awful. I went to the Salvation Army on Saturday and found a cheapo plastic 5 lb dumbbell. Thought it was .99 cents but when I got to the cash, turns out they wanted 6.99. I can get new, better weights at Fitness Depot for $1/lb. The clothing selection was sad and overpriced, and the furniture, dishes and other things were all overpriced and tacky (the worst kind of tacky).
Same here, but more due to being picked over by the local apostolics who are there every, single, day. As opposed to a lack of good items. Every now and then there is really good stuff, but finding it requires a lot of luck.
Yup, that's what I'm dealing with, the prices are outrageous - don't people know how much a new bed or dressser or couch costs? Used to be you could find a chair for $5 - no more.
I quit going, when I found they no longer had any books ... because all they have now is one narrow wall of books, displayed in such a way that you can't reach half of them if you are 5'1" - the rest is a hap hazard mix of partially upside down titles. Most of them in poor shape and at least 20 or more years old. Last time I was there, they had a total of ten romance books - 7 of them Amish or religious in some way.
Thank goodness I'm close to two libraries where I can order titles or read on line.
Our Goodwills are overrun by buyers all day long, nice for them and hopefully for the community, but not so great for those of us who shop there, because we are poor and are actually trying to set up house ... as I once was forced to do. Goodwill was the only place close enough to walk to. I didn't know the area, had no car and forget about bus service.
I have found good deals in the past like a 99 cent coffee grinder or nice glasses, but sifting through the kitsch, now that I have what I need is not my idea of fun.
Clothing - forget it, I have neither the patience nor ever any luck finding something that I would actually wear, like when they had several brandnew London Fog raincoats, not one of them in my size.
I was tempted to buy them anyway for re-sale, but then I chickened out - thinking about the hassle of it all.
Half the people that shop there these days are re-sellers hunting for bargains, the other half seems to have endless time to shop there all the time. It's mindboggling - when did it become so hard to find a good Thrift store? We've got plenty in the area, but I've stopped going - unless you make it your hobby and perservere - it simply is no longer my cup of tea.